Online Prerequisite Courses For Nursing, Health Care

Online Nursing Prerequisite Courses (Fast Track Courses)

Complete all of the prerequisite courses for your second degree nursing or other health care degree at a top-ranked nursing school.

The Online Prerequisite Courses are taught by School of Nursing faculty, not graduate students or teaching assistants. Work at your own pace — all you need is an internet connection. Register at any time during a session and complete the course in 4 to 12 weeks!

Why Take Your Prerequisites Here?

Most second degree nursing and other health care degree programs require specific college-level coursework for admission. There are significant benefits to completing Online Prerequisite Courses through the School of Nursing:

Self-paced, 100% online courses: Start when you want, even after the semester begins, and work through the material at your own pace. Course materials are engaging and fit a variety of learning styles — video, audio, PowerPoint, readings, etc.
Satisfy all prerequisite requirements: We offer timely submission of grades to meet your needs. Register at a discounted rate.
Successfully prepare for your degree program: Each course features a healthy balance of independence and support. If you need help, your professor is there. If you’re comfortable working faster, do it.

Available Online Prerequisite Courses

These online courses are some of the most common prerequisites for nursing and other health care degree programs (and are required for entry into our Accelerated Nursing Programs for Non-Nurses).

If applying these courses toward a degere program outside of the University of Rochester, we encourage you to check with your college or university prior to registering to be sure the course credit will transfer. UR School of Nursing courses are generally transferable; however each individual school makes the final decision whether or not to accept the course. See our FAQ page for details.

How Online Prerequisite Courses Work

Course Length

~4-12 weeks

The length of time to complete each course depends on the type of course and its requirements, as well as other individual considerations such as your learning style and schedule.

If you begin a course on the first available start date, you have at least 12 weeks to complete the modules. You may also finish sooner depending on your needs, speed, or availability.

On average, a 3-credit course will require 135 hours of work. Lab courses also require purchase of a lab kit and may take additional time for observation and analysis

3-Credit Didactic Courses

Online Prerequisite Courses are entirely online. Each course is comprised of 10 to 15 modules. Modules might include video lectures, PowerPoint presentations, readings, or other activities. Once students feel they have mastered the material, they take a graded quiz at the end of the module and move on to the next one. There are no written papers, midterms or finals.

Each course is assigned a School of Nursing professor who is available for questions. Online Prerequisite Courses are asynchronous, which means students work on their own time and at their own pace.

1-Credit Lab Courses

To conduct hands-on labs in your home setting, you will purchase a kit from eScience Labs or the UR Barnes & Noble Bookstore, depending on the course and whether you are receiving financial aid. The lab kit includes all necessary resources, including lab materials, instructional videos, practice questions, a virtual lab manual and worksheets, presentations, and recommended websites.

In addition, your course faculty will provide instructional support and eScience Labs will provide technical support for the virtual program. You will complete the lab at your own pace via the interactive online modules, submitting lab reports, pictures of your progress, and a knowledge quiz for each lab topic. You will be graded by your School of Nursing course faculty.

Course Fees & Registration

$3,600 $1,150

discounted cost per 3-credit didactic course
$1,200 $384

discounted cost per 1-credit lab course*

* plus cost of lab kits
Financial Aid Eligibility: Federal funding may be available, depending upon other criteria that the student needs to meet and if the student is enrolled in at least six credits of courses. Contact our financial aid counselor to discuss options.
Please note:

Payment must be received in full upon registration

. As a reminder, there are no refunds on these courses. Check with your college or university prior to registering for any course to be sure the course credit will transfer.

How to Register for 3-Credit Courses

Coursework is self-paced, and comprises 10-15 session modules. We recommend registering and beginning as soon as possible to ensure you can complete at the most comfortable pace, or by the optional early deadline, if desired. You may register and begin at any time within the registration window and still meet the final completion deadline. Refer to the chart below for the course registration and completion windows for 3-credit courses each semester.

Semester
Registration Open
Courses Start
Optional Early Deadline: Complete By
Final Deadline: Complete By
Fall
Aug. 1 – Nov. 20
Sept. 15
Nov. 20
Dec. 20

Spring
Dec. 1 – March 20
Jan. 15
March 20
April 20

Summer
May 1 – July 20
May 15
July 20
Aug. 20

How to Register for 1-Credit Courses (Labs)

Labs are self-paced, and comprise 10-13 session modules and experiments. While registration remains open past the lab start date, we recommend registering and beginning by the start date as some labs require several weeks for observation and analysis. Beginning on the start date also ensures you can complete by the optional early deadline, if desired. You may register and begin at any time within the registration window and still meet the final completion deadline, but please keep in mind this may require more coordination of experiments and greater time commitment. Refer to the chart below for the course registration and completion windows for 1-credit courses each semester.

Semester
Registration Open
Courses Start
Optional Early Deadline: Complete By / Grade Submitted
Final Deadline: Complete By / Grade Submitted
Fall
Aug. 1 – Oct. 20
Sept. 15
Nov. 1 / Nov. 20
Dec. 1 / Dec. 20

Spring
Dec. 1 – Feb. 20
Jan. 15
March 1 / March 20
April 1 / April 20

Summer
May 1 – June 20
May 15
July 1 / July 20
Aug. 1 / Aug. 20

Register

Follow the steps below to register for an Online Prerequisite Course:

Grades and Transcripts

For 3-credit courses, you may choose to submit by 11:59 p.m. EST on the optional early deadline or the final deadline. Grades will be submitted the following day.

For 1-credit courses (labs), you may choose to submit by 11:59 p.m. EST on the optional early deadline or the final deadline. Grades will be submitted on the 20th of that month.

If you are using the course to meet an application deadline, as a prerequisite to begin another course, or to meet graduation requirements at another institution, please be aware of your course’s completion deadlines and grade submission timeline. If you need an earlier submission for any reason, contact the instructor.

After your grade is submitted, you can order an official transcript to be sent to your school from the University of Rochester.

Info for UR Applicants & Students

Applicants to the UR Nursing’s Accelerated Nursing Program

We require successful completion of the prerequisite courses prior to matriculation in the University of Rochester’s Accelerated Nursing Programs for Non-Nurses. Complete courses before or during the application process, as long as proof of satisfactory completion is provided three weeks before the first semester.

Current University of Rochester Undergraduate Students

If you are a current University of Rochester undergraduate student and want to register for an Online Prerequisite Course, you will need to pay all associated course fees (Online Prerequisite Courses are NOT covered as part of your regular tuition).